X-Message-Number: 14065
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 11:11:01 -0400
From: Paul Wakfer <>
Subject: Re: CryoNet #14056 Hippocampal Slice Cryopreservation Project
References: <>

> Message #14056
> Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2000 13:34:23 -0900
> From: "John  M Grigg" <>
> Subject: We're on a roll here!!!
> 
> Paul Wakfer wrote:
> Work is about to begin with a new VS which has allowed
> 21st Century Medicine researchers to achieve 95% cellular
> viability after testing the VS on rabbit kidney slices.

For clarity, it should be pointed out that this (95% cellular viability
relative to untouched controls) was for slices which were merely loaded
and unloaded with VS. No cooling was done.
BTW, these particular sentences are a modification by Greg Fahy of my
first draft.
 
> In addition, work is continuing on methods of adding &
> removing VS that may be less damaging. Finally, it is
> possible that longer recovery times may further improve
> the ultimate viability of the slices. All in all,
> prospects for further improvement appear excellent.
> (end)
> 
> Wow!!!  This is fantastic news!!  I always thought it would
> be at least another decade or two till we got to this point
> considering the very limited funding for research.
> 
> And this breakthrough could be completed before the end
> of the year?  I am quite amazed!

While this work is very encouraging, its results are not in any manner a
"breakthrough" and it is little different from what I and a few others
was very sure was possible at the time that I began the Prometheus
Project. This success is the result of the concerted application of
focused research efforts directed to the problem of cryopreservation of
multicellular tissues by several people, even with severely limited
resources. What has happened differently in the last few years is that
the resources of manpower and money available research on brain
cryopreservation has increased from virtually none to small.

> So this project (built of course on the foundation
> of previous research) has cost $100,000?

Actually, about $110,000 to date. INC has provided about $60,000 (of
which $16,000 has come from Ben Best), and the other $50,000 was
provided by the lab at the "research institution associated with a major
Southern California university". The person in-charge of this lab (who
is also co-principal investigator for the HSCP) has thus applied 50% of
his Prometheus Project pledge to this project which came out of it.

However, there have been several other people who have been especially
farsighted in monetarily supporting this project. Ben Best, Edgar Swank,
Tim Freeman and Roy Yowell all donated $5,000 or more to the project.
In naming those four, however, I do not mean to disparage the help of
any of the 30 others who donated smaller amounts.

> I remember how it was thought a budget in the tens
> of millions would be needed for such advances and
> would take at least a decade of work.

You are confusing the completed work of demonstrated perfected whole
brain cryopreservation (and eventually perfected whole body suspended
animation) with the initial step of cellular viability of brain slices
for only one area of the brain, the hippocampus. There is a large and
important distinction between cellular viability and intercellular or
global viability, especially for the brain. There is an even larger
distinction between methods which apply to brain slices and those which
can be applied to whole brains. Finally, there may be even a larger
distinction between what will work for whole brains and what will work
for whole bodies. The achievement of those projects are still likely to
to require a decade and tens of millions of dollars. Don't forget that
the current results have their basis in the resources of people and
dollars (well over a million) that have established and maintained the
work of 21CM.

What we expect to be able to demonstrate before the end of 2000 is a
high percentage of cellular viability for cryopreserved (via
vitrification) rat hippocampal slices relative to controls. The methods
to demonstrate viability of interconnections of neurons (global
viability) which was the primary goal of the HSCP has not yet begun,
although sufficient additional investigation has been done to suggest
that the original method proposed (high speed videomicrography of action
potential propagation across the hippocampal slice surface) is still
fully feasible.
 
> Is this project at least in part being funded
> by Saul Kent and Will Faloon?

Neither Saul Kent nor Bill Faloon have donated any money to the HSCP.
All of Greg's time since the initial proposal write up (for which INC
paid directly) has been supplied by 21CM and Greg himself.
In addition, there was considerable cooperation from 21CM in furnishing
cryoprotectant formulations and in helping perfect the cellular
viability methods.

> I wonder how much of the funding came from private donations?

I am not sure that I understand your meaning of "private" donations.
None of the INC funding came from government or institutional donations,
if that is what you mean.
Specifially, no cryonics organization has yet donated anything to the
Hippocampal Slice Cryopreservation Project.

> I was very pleased to read Fred Chamberlain's post stating
> how Alcor is in the midst of preparing to implement 21st
> Century Medicine advances.  Yep, "make mine vitrified!"

I cannot emphasize too much the vast difference between vitrified brains
and perfected long-term whole body suspended animation. The differences
are not only vast in recovery potential, but even moreso with regard to
the scientific and public image of human cryopreservation.
 
> Needless to say, this is a very exciting time for us.
> Cryonics within just a few years may be in a more
> powerful position than ever before. :)

It is always good to be optimistic, but the time for complacency is
still far in the future.
There is still an enormous amount of research to be done and all
immortalists need to support this work as never before to ensure that it
does happen.

-- Paul Wakfer

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